10 Empowering Quotes From Gloria Steinem To Celebrate Her Birthday

Today we celebrate the 84th birthday of Gloria Steinem (born March 25, 1934), acclaimed journalist, founder, feminist, activist, thought-leader, speaker, and author who has dedicated her life and work to fighting for equality. Known for her intellect, candor, humor and quick wit, she has always delivered empowering and inspiring messages through her words. Here are 10 of our favorite Gloria quotes…

“Once we give up searching for approval we often find it easier to earn respect.”

“The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.”

“Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.”

“The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”

“I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving beyond words.”

“Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie.”

“Whatever you want to do, just do it…Making a damn fool of yourself is absolutely essential.”

“Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That’s their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood.”

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

“I would say that each of us has only one thing to gain from the feminist movement: Our whole humanity. Because gender has wrongly told us that some things are masculine and some things are feminine… which is bullshit.”

Photo credit: This photo of Gloria Steinem at the Women’s Action Alliance news conference on January 12, 1972 is from the U.S. News & World Report collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.

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3 Responses

I am 65. I read everything you wrote and every word you said as I grew up. But my favorite day was the day my mother began quoting you. She was born in 1916. She said you changed her life. You spoke for her. Thank you for that. Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Gloria!
I just love: “One day an army of gray-haired women may quietly take over the Earth!”
But my favorite is: “Whatever you want to do, just do it…Making a damn fool of yourself is absolutely essential.”